As the name indicates, these snakes are somewhat related to trees. Most of the time it is seen on tall trees. This snake is not so interactive and is found in the lowlands of the tropical rainforests of South America.
Due to their green and white enchanting skin, they look exotic and beautiful in their enclosures.
Though the Emerald tree boa is non-venomous, it is still aggressive and will attack anything in its attack range, so this pet snake is not one you can play around with. Estimated to be larger than any other non-venomous snake, its Fangs are extremely large.
In this guide, we will provide you with all the necessary information that you will require before getting an emerald tree boa.
Overview
| Name | Emerald tree boa |
| Scientific name | Corallus caninus |
| kingdom | Animalia |
| phylum | Chordata |
| genus | chorallus |
| Class | reptilia |
| order | Squamata |
| family | Biodae |
| size | 4 to 6 feet |
| weight | Two to four pounds |
| color | Bright green |
| Diet type | carnivores |
| Experience | Experienced |
Appearance
Emerald boas are known for their bright green color, but this doesn’t mean that they were born with this astonishing bright green color. Baby emerald tree boas are usually red or brown when born, they develop this neon green color over time as they grow into adults.
The emerald boas are green at the top with some white and black coloration, these are known as lightning bolts, while their dorsal side is pinkish white in color.
It is not necessary that all the emerald boas have the lightning bolt pattern on them, in some cases these patterns are missing and sometimes they are black rather than white.
Something that might bring you shock is that in different regions you will find different sizes of this snake, hence, the size of this snake fluctuates depending on what region they are from.
The snakes in the Amazon rivers are going to be the largest in size, on the other hand, the snakes in the northern snakes are going to differ in size and nature.
There are two types of Emerald tree boas. The Guesyana/Surinam ones have a green body with a white belly and white markings, it is estimated to grow to 4-6 feet long (121-182 centimeters).
The other type is the Amazon basin one, it has a dark green body with a yellow belly and the same white markings. Their size can be an astounding 9 feet! (275 centimeters)
Both the Amazon and the Guesyana boas have lean, muscular bodies with square and big heads with round and big snouts and a particular heat pit
Texture of this snake is very rough, its skin does not shine as you would expect a snakes skin to do so. The skin of this reptile has scales on it.
It’s interesting to note that this snake looks quite similar to the green tree python that may be found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Although these species are quite unrelated, they do have a similar head escalation and placement of pits around the mouth. As a result, this is the ideal illustration of convergent evolution.
The teeth of this snake are the elephant in the room, the teeth of these snakes can easily scare anyone, they are very sharp too, the teeth help these snakes hunt their prey, as these snakes prey on birds mostly their teeth are long.
Lifespan of emerald boa
The emerald boa on average lives for 20 years as a pet, but in the wild where it has a risk of being preyed upon and natural disasters, it survives for 15 years.
The life of this snake depends on several factors such as the climate, food, light, etc, so if you are going to pet this snake makes sure to keep them safe and away from life-threatening dangers at all times.
Speed of emerald boa.
The exact speed of this snake is not known, but they do not move that fast, this is the characteristic of boas that the emerald boa also possesses. Do not confuse this with how fast they bite and catch their prey though as they can do that in just the blink of our eye.
Origin and habitat
Emerald tree boas inhabit lowland tropical rainforest in the Amazon Basin. They may also be found in some regions of Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, and Brazil.
They are native to South America.
Social behavior
Emerald tree boa is nocturnal ambush hunters, meaning they have a vertical slit eye, this eye looks fierce and helps them hunt their prey.
These snakes will lay still and wait for their prey to pass and then attack them.
Another shocking thing about these snakes is that they hunt in the dark usually at night or during sunset time.
Emerald tree boa is mostly intrusive they do not like handling or even having other snakes around them.
Food chain.
The only known predators of these creatures are raptors like the Guianan crested eagle and people, it is not a very easy animal to catch for predators as this snake too hunts.
Some animals that are eaten by the Emerald tree boa are birds, bats, lizards, monkeys, squirrels, and rodents.
These snakes do play an important role in the maintenance of the food chain.
Conversational status
According to the IUCN, the Emerald tree boas are the least concerned, the actual number of this specie is not known yet.
Experience level.
If you are a beginner at keeping pets, then these snakes are not the best option for you. These snakes can get aggressive, so it is better to be a little experienced and have some know-how before buying these as pets, but you can master it with a little practice.
Emerald tree boa pet care
The emerald tree boa requires little maintenance. The habitat is the first thing you must put up if you intend to take care of an emerald tree boa. It might be difficult to handle emerald tree boas because of their propensity for living in trees.
Enclosure.
A terrarium will prove to be a good enclosure for your snake, small juveniles will not need a lot of space but a larger one will require space,
A glass terrarium is good for your snake as it is durable and retains heat, your terrarium must have holes for ventilation, you can also put them in a wooden vivarium for their enclosure. This is because wood insulates heat and it will make it easier to control the temperatures required in their habitat.
The wooden vivarium should have good ventilation for airflow inside and outside of the enclosure
Due to their long, lean bodies and habitat temperature, Emerald tree boas need to have a large enclosure. Their enclosure should be at least 24 inches in length and 36 inches in height.
However, you must prevent the display cage from having clear sides, since, this would cause the snake to feel uneasy. Only real or fake plants and an all-glass front are permitted. To provide the snake some shelter to hide, artificial plants are advised.
Substrate and decor.
Usually, a dry substrate works for this kind of animal, Orchid bark and cypress mulch are better options. Newspaper and butcher paper has the benefit of being less expensive alternatives.
Apart from that, they are easy to clean and won’t be consumed by the snake. Orchid bark would be the greatest alternative for greater humidity.
Additionally, cypress excels at retaining moisture and sustaining high humidity levels. Both orchid and cypress bark are attractive and resistant to fungus and mold. The way you feed your snake should change after you choose these two, though.
To prevent the snake from eating the substrate, you should utilize a container while placing food rather than just putting it wherever on the ground.
The enclosure should have some branches and small fake plants or trees on which the snake can climb, as the name of this snake mentions the word tree in it we know that this snake has a relationship of some sort with trees, the emerald boa loves to climb on trees so to mimic its natural habitat we advise you to add a fake small tree or some branch attached to the tank so that the snake can climb on it and feel homelike whenever it wants to.
The cage should have a number of horizontal branches. These branches must be positioned at various heights and with diverse diameters. Use sections of PVC tubing for branches that are simple to clean.
Temperature and humidity
Both varieties of emerald tree boa thrive in environments with daytime highs of 84 degrees Fahrenheit and nightly lows of 78 degrees.
A heat panel placed at one end of the cage to heat the entire cage is the optimum way to give captive snakes the necessary temperature gradient. Install a thermostat sensor on the cooler side and maintain it set to the previously indicated ambient day and night temperatures.
Additionally, this will guarantee that the basking spot at the warmer end of the cage will be between 88 and 93 degrees.
There must be two sides to the enclosure, one is the cool side and the other is the warm side, the cool side during day and night, this side of the enclosure should be approximately 80 degrees. Make sure you have enough foliage or ornamentation to completely enclose the snake in this location.
On the warm side, during the day and night, this side of the cage should be approximately 85°F. Make sure you have enough foliage or ornamentation to completely enclose the snake in this location.
In order for there to be no water trickling down the sides of the enclosure, humidity must be non-condensing and between 70-80 percent. The strain of establishing and maintaining humidity inside the actual cage is lessened if you can maintain some amount of humidity in your snake room
You can keep a bowl of water in the enclosure of this snake to retain humidity, this snake sheds skin so humidity plays an important role in letting it shed its skin successfully. These snakes belong from rain forests, so they do require a lot of hydration.
The snake may develop retained stools and big urates if the water levels are insufficient. Inadequate hydration may also lead to incomplete shedding and even trapped embryos.
Lighting
This is not talked about much, but lighting plays a very important part in the pet care of emerald boas, the emerald boas require a warm basking spot, people often skip this part thinking that this reptile is a noctriunal( sleeps in the morning and wakes up at night) and doesn’t need sunlight, this is completely false, although the emerald tree boas are nocturnal they need a basking spot of 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
To provide your snake with a basking spot, you will need a basking lamp or a ceramic light bulb, the ceramic light bulbs are good because they usually do not lighten the place up a lot.
Diet of emerald tree boas.
This exotic pet is carnivores, it can eat almost everything that fits in its mouth.
Some of the animals that you can feed your emerald boa snake are arboreal rodents, squirrels, monkeys, lizards, and bats. Reports claim that it will also consume birds.
The emerald boas have a slow digestive system, so you do not need to feed them that often, you should feed the adults every three weeks and the small snakes should be fed every week.
The emerald boas do drink water, place a bowl of water in your enclosure at all times, and make sure water is fresh, fresh water is healthy for your snake.
Handling emerald tree boa
You shouldn’t handle your Emerald Boa more than what is strictly required, whether you have one in the north or the south.
Particularly in newborns and juveniles, the snake’s tail is prehensile and very fragile. The snake’s tail can be permanently damaged if you pull it off of its perch or hold it wrong, which will prevent it from being able to anchor itself to one in rare cases this even causes the death of the snake.
If you really need to handle your snake, then you should take it out using a snake hook, after taking it out, gently hold it from its tail and belly, the comfort it does not lay around a lot with it, although these snakes are non-venomous, their bite is very painful.
Also, handle your pet Emerald boa during mid-day because they are least active during that time.
NEVER handle your snake for 48 hours after feeding, during, or 24 hours prior to those times. Stress causes your snake to either bite you or vomit its meal.
Breeding emerald tree boa.
You can start breeding emerald tree boas when they reach the age of 2 years, but it is best to wait until they turn 3, the proper mature snake will produce healthier offspring.
Species breeders frequently advise having the optimal cage for reproducing any animal, and the Emerald Tree Boa fits this notion.
The mating cage should ideally be large enough to accommodate two adult Emerald Tree Boas, since this allows each possible mate ample space to walk about freely after being introduced.
The secret is to as closely mimic natural breeding circumstances as you can in the snakes’ cages.
The average temperature recommendation from experts is for a daytime high (DTH) of 84 degrees Fahrenheit and a nighttime low (NTL) of 72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
In order to prevent the enclosures from being either dry or saturated, humidity needs to be controlled appropriately.
The guy will soon lock eyes with the attractive woman and attempt to woo her using some cunning movements of his own. An angry female can be a terrible omen, while other behaviors indicate a high chance of mating. The female’s answer might provide you insight into your luck.
Typically, a healthy pregnancy lasts 4-5 months. During the agony, the expectant woman frequently loses her appetite, and she may even lose weight again soon before giving birth.
If the snake is giving birth for the first time she might give birth to fewer offspring, and if it is her second or third time the number of offspring will be more.
Common health concerns
If you do not pay attention to your pet emerald tree boa’s health, it may fall prey to some diseases and health problems.
Some common health problems are stool retention respiratory disease, digestive disease, and skin diseases.
Stool retention.
One of the more typical issues with emerald tree boas is stool retention. The strain on the cloaca is caused by the snakes’ propensity to keep their feces for extended durations.
Some people think that these snakes primarily urinate when it rains in the wild. To prevent the stool’s fragrance from luring predators and letting them close, the plan is to have the rain wash the feces away.
Within a few minutes of being placed inside an active rain chamber, the snake will often urinate and let everything out. At least once a month, knowledgeable caretakers rotate the snakes through the room. You can also perform it as necessary.
For instance, if the snake is trapped during shedding, putting it in a rain chamber would assist. It is essential to keep clean water available in the rain chamber at all times, fresh water is the best for the Emerald tree boa.
It would be great if the snake avoided drinking reclaimed unclean water because it would drink some water when you put it in the chamber, it is better if you replace the water daily with fresh clean water.
Respiratory disease.
If the temperature of the enclosure remains cold, your snake can develop this disease.
An analysis of the bacterial and fungal populations is the initial step in treating this illness. The best antibiotic will subsequently be selected with the use of sensitivity testing.
In order to thoroughly rehabilitate the snake and guarantee that the ailment doesn’t return, you need also make the necessary husbandry adjustments. The prevalent disease chlamydiosis also impacts emerald tree boas.
Symptoms to look for are, wheezing, nasal discharge, mucus, and difficulty in breathing, if you detect any of these symptoms, you should firstly check the temperature within the enclosure and then take your snake to a vet to get a checkup.
Digestive problems.
The emerald tree boa is prone to a number of digestive problems, the name of these diseases are constipation, anorexia, diarrhea, and regurgitation.
You will notice that imported snakes are prone to stomach issues. This happens because they are frequently agitated and normally have a significant parasite burden, which causes anorexia.
Cryptosporidium infections are common in emerald tree boas. Chronic regurgitation is a symptom of several infections. Dehydration is another prevalent cause of stomach issues.
Skin disease.
As we know that this snake shed skin, a snake that sheds skin is also likely to have some skin problems other than this sometimes mites attack the snake too.
Dysecdysis, Low humidity causes this syndrome. However, it might also be caused by a mite infestation, insufficient diet, or incorrect care.
If your emerald tree boa develops dysecdysis, immerse it in tepid (warm) water for 30 minutes. After doing that, gently massage it with a cloth to remove any remaining skin, keep in mind that you must be very gentle as this snake can get irritated.
Cost of getting a pet Emerald tree boa.
Emerald boas when they are young cost about 3 to 4 US dollars, You can also order a male or a female snake. Though, Most Beoble who sell these snakes are not able to ensure the reproduction of these snakes.
There will also be a fee for the delivery of these snakes, to avoid this you can go and buy this snake from a retile et sho in your area.
Also before ordering these snakes, it is most necessary to read the shipping information and see if the shop can ship to your place or not.
Conclusion
Overall this exotic pet is a great addition to your reptile pet collection, you just need to master a few things and have some skills while handling this snake.
This snake will not hurt you unless you threaten or overhandle it.
This snake eats every three weeks, so you do not need to worry a lot about its diet, also it is territorial so avoid keeping other reptiles with it, only introducing opposite genders to each other while mating.
Caring for this snake is not as complicated as it may seem to you. Provide your snake with water and a good enclosure with optimum temperature and you are good to go.
FAQs
There are two species of Emerald tree boa, one is Guiana emerald tree boas and the other is amazon emerald tree boas.
An Emerald tree boas is a pretty big specie of snake, it can grow to ten feet in rare cases and mostly grows till 4 to 9 feet.
Yes, the Emerald tree boas live in trees, they wrap their bodies around the branch of the tree and then rest.
No, Emerald tree boas are non-venomous but their bite is very painful, they have huge sharp teeth that are capable of tearing flesh apart.
